What happens after genetic counselling?

The counsellor reviews your personal and family history, explains what a test can and cannot show, and discusses possible results. You may choose testing, postpone it, or decide not to proceed. A result can be positive for a known inherited change, negative, or uncertain because the finding is not yet understood. A result is about inherited risk; it does not by itself confirm that someone has cancer or predict exactly what will happen.

Before testing, check how the sample will be collected, when results are expected and who will explain them. Share relevant reports and update the family history if new diagnoses arise. If a clinically meaningful inherited change is found, your team may suggest tailored screening, risk-reducing options or referral to another specialist. Relatives may be offered information or testing, but you can decide how and when to share the result. Keep a copy of the report and ask whether it should be reviewed later as medical knowledge changes.

Genetic counselling is not usually an urgent service. Contact your genetics team if you receive a result you do not understand, discover a new cancer diagnosis in the family, or need help deciding whether to tell relatives. Seek urgent care for a new severe symptom such as heavy bleeding, sudden breathing difficulty or severe pain; genetic risk information should never delay assessment of an acute problem.

Ask what each possible result would change, whether testing includes the gene changes most relevant to your history, who can access the report, and how relatives may be affected. Clarify your screening plan, the timing of results and who to contact if your circumstances change.